Digital Marketing in The Healthcare Industry: Trends to Look For in 2017

It is never too late to late to get on board with the latest trends in the digital space. As we reach the halfway mark of 2017, let’s take a look at some noteworthy trends for the year. Is your practice implementing any of these?

Noteworthy Content

The internet is a sea of information. Patients are constantly looking for relevant and helpful information. It is important that your practice is a reliable source for them. That said, with the influx of blogs and information out there, it is important that your practice’s content is not only factual but also fresh and socially shareable. The interesting factor is just as important as the informational factor. Blog formats like top ten lists remain popular. Munchable information is key for social sharing.

Personal Content

Take advantage of advances in ad delivery services. It is now possible to direct your content to patients who have previously shared an interest in certain areas or on certain topics on your website. Goodbye are the days of blanket advertising. Advertisements should be timely, personal and as if they were delivered to the patient one-on-one.

Geo-Targeting

Geo-targeting is the ability to deliver different content to specific people based on their geographic location. You can do this through paid or organic search. This practice can be very useful in healthcare marketing. Geofencing allows you to set perimeters around a specific area. For example, this can be used to set a perimeter around your practice’s office or hospital. Geo-conquesting is similar to geofencing except instead of setting a perimeter around your own practice or hospital, you create a perimeter around your competition. For the best outcome, geo-conquesting and geo-fencing should be used as complementary tools to one another.

Live Video

Live video is one of those new features currently gaining in popularity on both Facebook and Instagram. Introduce live video to your digital strategy by life streaming interesting events such as tours of the facility, Q&A sessions with doctors, and lectures. Patients want to know that you’re providing them with the most current and cutting-edge health care. Live streaming is a great way to do this in real time and can give health care professions real results when it comes to social media marketing.

The Value of Time

A patient’s time should be seen as just as valuable as the doctors. Having a working online portal for patients to fill out necessary paperwork before an appointment will cut back on time spent in the office. Think of creative ways to eliminate unnecessary waiting time in the office.

Mobile Friendly

We know you’ve heard this before. Now more than ever it is important to make sure your website is mobile optimized. 4 out of 5 Americans own a smartphone. Patients are likely to first access your website on their phones. It is important to consider this when budgeting for any mobile components of your site.

Video Ads

Ads don’t have to be the standard photo with text. More and more healthcare professionals are choosing to implement digital video ads into their ad buying strategies. There is now software that can present videos to patients at the exact moment they are searching for a topic.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine is evolving in 2017. As technology evolves, every industry must find ways to use said technology to their advantage. Text and e-mail service are becoming more and more expected by patients. Digital doctor experiences are not only convenient for patients but can add to profitability.

Social Messaging Apps

If you use Facebook on your smartphone, you have likely also downloaded the Facebook messenger app. Social messaging apps are growing in popularity. These allow for you to have real time conversations with patients. Answer questions directly through the messaging service. Consider it a traditional conversation in a modern way.

Patient Reviews

Patients are more and more informed on treatment options as well as your facility before they even walk in your door. With the abundance of information available on the internet, they have done their research. It behooves healthcare professions even more now to provide the best customer service and information they can via their digital platforms as patients will not hesitate to go and write a review. Also, consider taking action and asking your patients to write a review of your practice. The positive reviews out there, the more information potential patients will have when doing their preliminary research.